The invention relates to the field of materials engineering and relates to an AlN-based hard material layer on bodies of metal, hard metal, cermet or ceramics and to a method for the production thereof. The aim of the invention is to provide an AlN hard material layer which has improved hardness and wear resistance and can be produced in an inexpensive and time-efficient manner. According to the invention, an AlN-based hard material layer is provided, which is an individual layer or a multi-layered layer system, wherein at least the one layer or at least one layer of the multi-layered layer system is an AlN-based hard material layer with a hexagonal lattice structure that has a texture and is oxygen-doped, wherein the oxygen doping is in the range of 0.01 at. % to 15 at. %. The hard material layer can be used as a wear-protection layer for cutting tools.